Two Circles Cafe

One of the most popular Malaysian restaurant in Doncaster East, Melbourne. All the familiar Malaysian street food like Penang Asam Laksa, Penang Hokkien Mee (Har Mee/ Prawn Noodle Soup), Nyonya Kuih, KL Pan Mee, Curry Laksa etc.

Address: 270 Blackburn Rd, Doncaster East, VIC 3109.

Open Everday EXCEPT (Tuesday): 10.30am - 2.30pm, 5.30pm - 9.30pm

Muthu Banana Leaf Restaurant

Few people know that Muthu Banana Leaf Restaurant has been around for over 80 years in Penang. Even if you grew up in Penang, you will be excused for not knowing this place as this unassuming shop has no signage, tucked in between heritage shophouses along Lebuh Acheh. No wonder many have simply missed this place. The only thing that makes Muthu Banana Leaf Restaurant stands out from its neighbours is its yellow painted façade.

就算你是土生土长的槟城人也未必来过这间已有超过80年历史的香蕉叶饭餐馆。这店隐藏在乔治市中心狭窄的一条路，又没有招牌，唯一的特点就是那黄色的油漆。

Lebuh Acheh is right in the middle of the heritage enclave of George Town. There are many significant buildings and architecture to explore in the surrounding, all within walking distance. This area is one of the first settlement of the city and it is clearly evident in its narrow streets and laneways.

这地方乃是乔治市古迹中心，周围有许多历史景点只需步行便可到达，真的值得参观。

The menu is simple, authentic banana leaf rice that comes with 4 condiments. The staff will then bring a tray of mains for you to choose from. There are three types of curries available: Crab curry, Chicken curry, and Fish curry. Like all of us experts in Malaysia, we like to mix all three to get the best flavour! The dishes are so rich in flavors with the variety of Indian spices.

习惯吃香蕉叶饭的人都知道，服务员会端出来几道菜任顾客选择。这家有三种加里汁：螃蟹加里，鸡加里和鱼加里。大多马来西亚人都知道最明确的选择就是三种汁都要！！

Muthu Banana Leaf Restaurant

Address: 143, Lebuh Acheh, 10200 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.

Operating Hour: 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Daily)

Beef Noodle Soup & Hainanese Chicken Chop at Butterworth

Get to know this place from watching Axian's (阿賢) show on Astro AEC. There are basically 3 Kopi Tiam (coffee shops) along this row of shop houses and the one we went to was Luan Fong.

As we traveled from the Penang Island, we decided to take the ferry. Our journey was taken way back in January 2020. Sadly now this historic ferry which has been transporting people across the two lands for more than 100 years is no longer in service recently.

The unique characteristic of this ferry is you can drive right into it.

Stunning view from the ferry leaving Penang island.

The journey took about 15 to 20 minutes. It was a nice relaxing way of crossing onto the other side compared to the hectic driving on the Penang bridge.

The location of the shop is very close to the Butterworth jetty.

We purposely came for this uncle's Thai beef noodle soup, his name is Kang. During his interview on Axian's (阿賢) show, he told the story about how he learned to cook Thai style beef noodle soup. He used to eat a particular Thai beef noodle soup many years ago when he visited Thailand. It was so delicious that he asked the stall owner to teach him how to cook. The owner was initially reluctant as he scared he will give away his trade secret. However, uncle Kang told him that he only wanted to set up his business in Penang and assured him that he will not be his competitor. He succeeded in the end.

Delicious beef noodle soup.

Too bad we were too late when we got there as he had sold out his Thai soup, we only managed to order his normal beef noodle soup. It was still good anyway.

The trip to a Malaysian Kopi Tiam will not be complete without ordering the Kopi (local coffee).

Soft boiled egg on toast - a common sight of Malaysian breakfast.

You can also order this Hainanese Chicken Chop from the other shop and they can bring over.

有一次无意中在Astro AEC频道看到阿贤推荐这个地方。他介绍了这排商店中3家咖啡店。

我们决定从槟城乘渡轮越洋来到这里。这旅程是之前在2020年1月拍下的。可悲的是，这艘超过一百年历史悠久的渡轮，最近政府已决定不再使用了。从槟城到北海行程大约需要15到20分钟。乘坐渡轮远比驾车在槟威大桥来得舒服多了！

咖啡店的位置非常靠近北海码头。

我们特意要来吃这位大叔的泰国牛肉面，他叫阿江。在接受阿贤节目的采访时，他讲述了他如何学会煮泰式牛肉面的故事。许多年前，他去泰国时吃过他十分喜欢的泰国牛肉面。于是他就要求摊主教他如何做这道菜。摊主最初不愿意因为怕会泄露自己的商业秘密。但是，阿江叔告诉他，他只想在槟城开店，从没有打算在泰国和他竞争。最后摊主同意教阿江。

您也可以从其他商店叫此海南式鸡扒，他们可以端菜过来。

Second Best Penang Char Koay Teow In Melbourne

This used to be the only place in Melbourne where I would go for Penang Char Koay Teow until Lulu's Char Koay Teow came along. 

Their taste is the closest to the authentic one back in Penang. I go there often as it is just 5 minutes drive from my office. Weekday lunch is better as there is no crowd compared to weekend. Owner from Ipoh and has been in the business for more than 30 years. They used to run their business in the city until they moved to their current Glen Waverley premise.

Penang Char Koay Teow

Penang Assam Laksa

Their Assam Laksa is equally good. The soup is so tasty that I finished the last drop, short of licking the bowl!

Danny's Kopitiam is located at 264 Blackburn Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria 3125.

For best Penang Char Koay Teow in Melbourne, refer to previous post below:

- Best Penang Char Koay Teow in Melbourne

这曾经是我在墨尔本每当想吃槟城炒粿条时唯一去的地方，直到Lulu's Char Koay Teow出现为止。

它们的炒粿条最接近槟城正宗的口味。我经常会去那里也是因为它离我的办公室只有5分钟车程。上班时间去比较好，因为周末每次都太多顾客。老板是怡保人，经营这个生意已有30多年之久了。以前在市城市开店，直到搬到目前的Glen Waverley地点。

他们的槟城叻沙也很不错。汤底真好吃。

如想知道关墨尔本最好吃的槟槟城炒粿条在哪里就请看以下前一篇文章：

 

-墨尔本最好吃的槟城炒粿条

Perak Lane Fish Head Bee Hoon

This has to be one of the best Bee Hoon Soup in Penang. Located at the end of Perak Lane (Lorong Perak) towards Jalan Jelutong, this small premise by the roadside only open in the evening. There are many places like this Penang where they only operate in the evening to capture more crowd after work. It is also the culture of people living in Malaysia and Singapore to come out in droves to hawker centres at night to avoid the hot tropical sun at day time.

这可说是槟城最好吃的米粉汤之一。坐落在朝着Jalan Jelutong的霹雳

（Lorong Perak）的尽头，这座在路旁的小贩中心仅在晚上营业。槟城有许多类似

地点，它们都只在晚上才营业，以便吸引更多下班族的人群。晚上成群结队前往小贩

中心避开白天炎热的阳光也渐渐成了马来西亚和新加坡人的文化。

超值猪肝米粉荡！！！

Sri Weld Nasi Lemak

Long queue at Sri Weld's Nasi Lemak stall even before lunch time!

Beautiful nasi lemak.

Two Malay ladies preparing and wrapping the nasi lemak for customers.

Inside Sri Weld Food Court.

 

These photos were taken during my holiday in Penang back in January 2020 (pre-Covid times). Not too sure whether it is still around. Anyone has further update on this premise are welcomed to leave comments here.

Floating Seafood Paradise

There was one time on our way back from Klang Valley to Penang, we decided to stopped over Tambun which is popular for seafood to have our dinner before heading back to the island.

We tried this particular one which we have never patronize before as it looked promising from the outside with ample parking spaces and presentable entrance.

There were fish ponds lined up along the entrance as we walked into the restaurant. The restaurant was empty with maybe just one table occupied and I thought 'oh no, it must be wrong choice!'. But we were all too tired to drive around and find another place to eat so just decided to bite the bullet and try.

The food in general is below our expectation but oklah, just want to have something before continue our journey home.

Ah Hor Koay Teow Th'ng @ Carnavon Street 阿虎粿條湯

粿條湯 or Koay Teow Soup - one of the most under stated hawker food of Penang which is often over-shadowed by other more popular dish such as Char Koay Teow or Asam Laksa. This dish provides an alternative to those who can't take spicy food. It is equally delicious in its own way.

It's at Carnavon Street again but this time it's about Koay Teow soup which is so famous in this part of town that at least 2 stalls are selling the same dish. Now that is competition!

We tried the one facing the main street as we could see many people lined up just to get a table. I thought it must be real good to command such a crowd. Again parking is a headache but somehow it was my lucky day that there was one spot not so far away from the stall. Finding a parking space in Penang is like hunting, you got to be quick before your prey gets away!

  

The name of this modest stall is called 阿虎粿條湯 and I guess 阿虎 must be the name of the boss/chef behind the stall. His Indonesian helper stood next to him could speak fluent Hokkien and that really impressed me.

We were told to take a seat first and she would come and take our orders when she was available. Soon we had our orders taken, waited not too long fortunately as it was around 10am when most people were working in the office.

The picture above was what we ordered, a simple Koay Teow Th'ng with pork livers, fish balls, shredded duck and garnished with spring onion. The soup was sparkling with droplets of oil that made it looked ever more appetizing. RM4.00 per bowl and I believe it is value for money, no complain.

Oh Chien at Carnavon Street

Fried Oyster Omelette (Oh Chien) @ Seng Thor Kopitiam

Wanton Mee @ Seng Thor Kopitiam

When I posted these two pictures on Facebook recently, my friend instantly commented that they are from Carnavon Street. He recognized mainly because of the first picture which is the fried oyster omelette or Oh Chien which this place is renowned for.

We were trying our luck that day due to difficulties finding a parking spot right in the heart of George Town but to our delight we managed to find one right in front of the coffee shop. We parked where we could see our car just in case the 'Mata' came and gave us lottery ticket as our spot was not actually a parking lot.

Anyway, we went in and ordered the Wanton Mee first as I have had it before many years ago and knew that it was good. With the mixture of steamed and deep fried wanton, this dish did not disappoint me and I soon found myself polished the entire plate with my tongue instantly. 

Those who are no stranger to Penang hawker food know that the dish comes in small portion. I was looking at the Oh Chien stall while having my noodle just then and was reluctant to make my order due to the seemingly long queue. I soon couldn't resist the temptation of the famous Oh Chien and ordered one plate after all. Have to wait a while due to its popularity but it came eventually.

The oyster and egg fused together to create this beautiful golden mixture which would made one drools just by staring at it. I gently picked up one piece and slowly moved it into my mouth and my god, it tasted heavenly! The combination of crispiness of the batter with the juiciness of the oyster was simply irresistible. 

These two dishes can summarize what Penang is all about: simple, delicious and money well spent. The downside was I got sore throat after the Oh Chien and have to suffer for the next three days miserably without any hawker food indulgence.

Seng Thor Kopitiam is located at the corner of Carnavon and Kimberley Street, Penang.

CF Foodcourt - 7th Day of Chinese New Year

One of the scene that I can never experience in Perth is the vibrancy of the city after sunset. So I always try to take in this atmosphere as much as I could whenever I am back in Penang.

Penang comes to life after dark where some of the streets in the city will be converted into makeshift hawker centres the locals would go to have a snack or two. We went to CF Foodcourt at Weld Quay on the 7th day of Chinese New Year 2015 (年初七) for dinner because I knew that it is going to be full of people and lots of delicious food to choose from. You could taste great food and feel the energy of the city at the same time. And to my surprise there was a live performance on that day which made the whole evening even more meaningful.

The crowd was impressive at CF Foodcourt.

Live performance - a bonus.

Hawker centres and foodcourts are the kind of place where people from all walks of life would unwind and gather in the evening either with families or friends. It is our public place to socialize with others. It is a place with no restriction to race, social status, gender or age. How much more democratic could it be? And it is definitely very affordable to most people. You don't have to fork out a fortune to have an enjoyable evening. I guess that is the most unique and attractive aspect of dining out in Penang.

Dry Fish Head Bee Hoon

Fish Head Bee Hoon Soup

Tom Yam Bee Hoon

This is the stall where we ordered from - check them out!

Despite the exodus of talents out of the country in recent years due to our current volatile political situation, Penang somehow still manages to retain its charm and it has never been more obvious than during the Chinese New Year period when the entire state is in celebration mood. In fact we could also say that it is because of so many people are now living outside the country and the one thing that they look forward to every year is to be able to go back to their hometown to be with their family. That is why the population of Penang balloons up multiple times during Chinese New Year because of people coming back from all corners of the world. There is nothing more wonderful than being able to hear Penang Hokkien spoken by everyone around me whenever I'm back.

It is the simplistic and easy going lifestyle of Penang which has continuously attracting people from all over the world to now stay long term on this magnificent island. I'll always be proud that Penang is my home.

Why You Can't Resist Penang Food

Do you ever wonder why Penang food is so good that you want to go back for more? Why is it that you find yourself patronizing the same stall over and over again if not on a weekly basis? And how come you can never find authentic Penang food elsewhere except on the island itself?

There is no single answer to those questions. First of all, have you realized that Penang hawker food always come in smaller portion compare to elsewhere say KL or Singapore. You may complain that Penang hawkers are calculative or stingy but I believe that is one of the reason that makes Penang food so irresistible. All good things are rare to find and that's why gold is so precious while rubbish is worthless. By serving the food in smaller portion, we could savour its taste more explicitly. It is the emphasis of quality over quantity. If it's portion is too big then you find yourself trying to finish up the food instead of completely immerse yourself in your palate sensation. 

The next reason why Penang food is so unique lies in the professionalism of its hawkers. Yes, you heard me, Penang hawkers are professionals! Have you realized that most Penang hawkers only sell one dish? If they are selling Asam Laksa then you won't be able to order Char Koay Teow from them. It is the skill and home made recipe that have been passed down by their previous generation that they want to upkeep and be faithful to their cuisine. The complex combination of ingredients and spices, the texture of the noodles, the amount of time and effort of preparation works all culminating into a small bowl of beautifully presented dish. These people are even more professional than the so called 'professionals' in suits that patronize their stall. 

I have always think that hawkers are under-appreciated by the general public because people only look up to careers with social status such as engineers or lawyers. But these engineers and lawyers would still have to sit by the roadside and wait for their food. 

There are many people trying to sell Penang food elsewhere. In fact you can find Penang food in all corners of the world. It is good to share our cuisine with the rest of the world but most of the times it doesn't work. If you try it you will know that the taste is not the same. There are two major reasons for that. Firstly, our wonderful spices are not easily available in other parts of the world. Secondly, they sell too many different dishes and thus lack focus on the food they serve. Some even mix dish from Singapore or Indonesia but their shop's name is about Penang food. 

Anyhow, let's get back to why Penang food is so unique. Besides the portion of the food and the professionalism of the hawker, there is this beautiful settings of heritage George Town that acts as the perfect backdrop to anyone's culinary experience in Penang. Everything seems to fit flawlessly - old buildings, narrow streets, casual lifestyle, street food and organized chaos. And you can find food anytime of the day from early morning until even after midnight. Penang people eat 24 hours a day and the food scene in George Town never sleeps.

You can't experience all these in big cities. You have to go into huge shopping centres in Singapore to eat 'street food'! Just imagine that, having street food inside a modern building instead of by the street, it is hilarious! 

So these are the reasons which I believe contribute the authenticity and uniqueness of Penang hawker food. I hope the same spirit will continue throughout future generations and not be washed away by rapid modernization of our society. Until then, just find a good spot by the roadside and enjoy your bowl of noodles!

Sungai Pinang Food Court Revisited

I can't recall if there was any food court in Penang when I was a kid. Back then, the streets are the food court. Penang people really make full use of their street. Streets in Jelutong town centre are converted into market in the morning. They revert back into streets in the afternoon and transform into hawker centre in the evening. This was the norm everywhere around the island.

But now with rapid urbanization and heavy traffic, roadside trading is gradually becoming less practical and hence the beginning of the food court era in Penang. While the situation is definitely getting more organized, I find that the food is less appealing compare to those served by traditional roadside hawkers. The reason is simple, those roadside hawkers are both chef and proprietors of their own business. They are serious about what they do and will try very hard to earn a decent living. They labor hard everyday to make ends meet and as a result of their passion and seriousness, we as the customers got to enjoy delicious food.

Those stall owners in modern food court however employ people to operate the business for them. There are very few who would personally manage their stalls. Sometimes you would find Indonesian maids serving you Penang Hokkien Mee for example, it just doesn't feel right and you could easily taste it as they are not authentic.

As you would probably know by now that I'm not a big fan of food court but if there is any food court to recommend then I would suggest the one in Sungai Pinang for its many choices of food, comfort and some stalls do serve authentic Penang delicacy.

Ikan bakar or BBQ fish Malaysian style - Golden Pomfret.

Have you tried BBQ vegetable before? This one is a bit too salty for me.

East Coast BBQ is the first prominent stall that greets you at the entrance to the food court.

Variety of seafood to choose from. Sometimes you just can't decide.

Customers are spoilt for choice.

Squid, fish, prawn and so much more.

Deep fried chicken skin always appeal to the locals as we are not very health conscious people.

Black chicken herbal soup. Not really a common dish in Penang and that makes it unique.

Noodles that goes with the black chicken herbal soup - my personal favourite.

Now this is the stall that boasts authenticity where the man himself shows you how he makes his famous biscuits.

The boss, the chef and the marketer.

He hit hard with wooden mallet onto the ingredients that make his biscuits.

Some cute lanterns hanging above the Lok Lok stall.

Customer thinking of which skewer to choose from.

Variety of meat and seafood in skewers on display at the Lok Lok stall.

I always go for fruit juice whenever I was there. A way to balance out all the greasy food that I took in.

The spacious interior of Sungai Pinang Food Court.